Pahkyun
Pahkyun is Kroot mercenary and a former-Shaper for the now-extinct Bhi'khavir Kindred who resides within the Sidonis Verge. An elderly figure that is infamous for his capability in long-ranged combat, Pahkyun is a veteran of over two centuries of warfare, having sustained his lifespan through the consumption of the long-lived Eldar which has also granted him a heightened sensitivity to his surroundings and a degree of psychic power. Pahkyun is considered to be the relative oldest, as well as the most efficient, of the mercenaries native to the Verge and has trained many younger well-known mercenaries that have made names for themselves, and even undertook assignments and missions outside of Sidonis in order to pursue personal interests. Pahkyun is one of the eldest Kroot recorded by both the Tau Empire and the Imperium of Man, with some sources having theorized that he could not possibly be a single Kroot individual, although he is recognized by his signature weaponry; an ages old Kroot hunting rifle that has been fitted with plasma production and storage facilities and an Eldar Powersword that he had claimed during his younger days. Having abandoned causes to fight for in exchange for the opportunity to hunt and live a more liberated lifestyle, Pahkyun is a wandering, aged spirit that has come to accept a lack of purpose - as such, he accepts his missions eagerly, as doing what he is best at allows him a sense of satisfaction and release. Throughout his ventures as a mercenary he has assisted and fought against many individuals, all in the hopes that he finds a foe worthy enough to take his life in battle before he succumbs to age, and is already within his final years. History Early Life Origins Pahkyun was born and raised upon the world of Krechta, as were all members of the Bhi'khavir Kindred, where they coexisted with the Tau Empire, who had established multiple industrial settlements but in turn keeping them away from the forests and jungles that the Kroot inhabited. Pahkyun was a favoured child and prodigy of the Kroot Shaper Khihyak Yrr, whom he held in the highest of regards as did many of the Kindred. Pahkyun and his brethren were guided by Khihyak to feast upon the nocturnal hunters of the Krechtan night, and thus gained a distinctive black colouration to his flesh and scales as well as heightened senses. Pahkyun was given charge of a Kroot hunting rifle by Khihyak Yrr, as he had aspired to be a long-ranged fighter which his prowess and skill supported, allowing him the opportunity to initiate combat and assassinate foes from afar. Assault for Mandras On his first assignment on the world of Mandras, while he was still a young Carnivore, Pahkyun suffered a crippling trauma as he, and many others, witnessed Khihyak being slain by the hand of an Imperial Commissar, although the Tau Empire, specifically the men and women of the Har'uchi Sept, had ultimately succeeded in attaining victory over the world nonetheless. After the initial conflict was over and surviving Imperials were being inducted into the Tau's Gue'vesa program, Pahkyun feasted on the remains of Khihyak in private, out of sight from his kin, and later gained an impressive up-scaling in prowess. After having devoured the remains of Khihyak Yrr in secret, Pahkyun was approached by Kroot female, Tihyuka, and the two would go on to produce spawn, meanwhile a new Shaper was elected from the Bhi'khavir Kindred; an individual by the name of Chiyaka Shor. Still distraught over having lost Khihyak, Pahkyun grew to dislike Chiyaka although nonetheless followed his command and guidance. Pahkyun maintained his position and niche as the Kindred's most valuable sniper asset and was recognized by the commander of the Har'uchi Sept, who offered Pahkyun the opportunity to use a Plasma Rifle although he was quickly refused by the Kroot, however Pahkyun did request for his weapon to be upgraded with plasma capabilities, which was accepted. Subjugation of Kavvanich Chiyaka and the Bhi'Khavir Kindred would go on to fight alongside the Har'uchi Sept to lay claim to the world of Kavvanich - a planet that had already been claimed prior by Eldar Exodites. Pahkyun had been initially underestimating of the potential and strength of the Exodites, believing them incapable of withstanding the plasma capabilities of the Tau and his own sniping prowess, with the attitude swiftly destroyed as he laid his eyes upon the colossal reptilian war-beasts that the Exodites had equipped with guns and cannons. With Chiyaka at the rear of Kroot positions, Pahkyun took up sniping from behind his brothers and sisters, allowing him to deal losses against the Kavvanichi Exodites. At some point during the conflict, after having fought for a day, Pahkyun was dealt injury by a foe hidden amongst the foliage of Kavvanich; an Eldar Outcast equipped with an Eldar Long Rifle. While not dealt any fatal wounds, Pahkyun lost his right eye and gained a scar across the side of his face in the Outcast's assault along with having to watch several of his kin die. Forcefully pushed on by Chiyaka, who had discovered the injured Pahkyun hours later, he engaged within a sniper war with the unknown Eldar, and was unimaginably determined to find and kill his opposition - he took to the foliage at night, making use of his black skin and keen reflexes in order to navigate and stay hidden throughout the Kavvanichi forests. Eventually, after several hours of searching, he found the Outcast and engaged in battle, and discovered that the Outcast had somehow came into possession of a Powersword. Equipped only with his petty, primitive close combat knife, Pahkyun kept to the shadows, although by this time he had already been seen by the Outcast and was now under threat of losing his life. The battle lasted for several more hours, extending into sunrise. Tired and growing weary, Pahkyun refused to retreat and kept to the jungles of that were his arena. Using knowledge granted to him and his brethren by the previous Shaper of his Kindred, he established a series of basic, primitive traps in order to attempt incapacitating the opposition so he could allow himself the killing blow. The battle outside continued to wage, with Exodites managing to get up close and dispose of Fire Warriors before they were mowed down and incinerated by the mechanized mobile units of the Sept or cut and chopped down by Kroot Carnivores, with their own Kroot war-beasts engaging in combat with the Exodites' saurian heavy units. Exhausted from having to hide and attempt sniping his foe from afar, Pahkyun was soon discovered by the Outcast, who demeaned the Kroot warrior and renounced him as "little more than feral nuisance"... before falling into the Punji pit that Pahkyun had managed to establish and cover some time before when they had attempted to dispose of the Kroot with their Powersword. Taking the Powersword for himself, Pahkyun dealt death to the Outcast with several rounds from his hunting rifle before rejoining his Kindred to fight the rest of the battle. It was on that same day that the Tau Empire had managed to secure victory for their people, while the Bhi'khavir Kindred were encouraged to feast upon the corpses of the slain Exodites, inclduing Pahkyun. Due to the amount of available corpses, Pahkyun and his brethren feasted until night when their bellies had finally been filled. Noticed by Chiyaka due to the Powersword he carried, Pahkyun was granted notice within the Kroot Kindred and became something of a minor object of fame - a local celebrity, in effect. The forests that Pahkyun had murdered the Outcast within was swiftly renamed by the Kindred to the "Pahkyun Woods", a name that would eventually come to be accepted by their Tau allies in recognition of the duel. Ascension to Shaper Personality Pahkyun, as an elderly figure, prefers to spend his leisure time to himself, either drinking and eating at public houses, restaurants, and bars throughout the Sidonis Verge or sleeping within the confines of his own residence, which changes every few months or so in order to avoid being discovered and ambushed. However, he is a generally optimistic figure and despite his age is still rather eager and adventurous, although he is somewhat reclusive and prefers undergoing ventures by himself aside from his trusted companion - a lone Kroot hound that he affectionately calls "Yrr", named after his father and the first Shaper he had been raised and guided under. Pahkyun holds a disinterest in the activities of the young and often shows them little more than disrespect due to hiding envy for their youth, although he also holds them in distaste due to a large amount of them being inexperienced and unaccustomed to war and tragedy. However, Pahkyun has been known to take in some orphans under his wing and allow them to train under his own guidance, with some of these orphans having developed into some of the most renowned mercenaries and vigilantes throughout the Verge. Pahkyun holds deep respect for his allies that have fought alongside him in prior encounters and for "prey" that he considers difficult, including certain individuals from varying and diverse backgrounds. While not explicitly racist or xenophobic, Pahkyun often judges Eldar, including Exodites and Outcasts, under the common stereotypes as a result of his experience with them in the past. Abilities and Traits Pahkyun is widely renowned within the Sidonis Verge for his sniping capability, being professed in long-range combat and stealth in order to assassinate or afflict injury against his enemies from afar, hidden with his mere Kroot hunting rifle. Pahkyun has been practicing sniping and stealth warfare for a majority of his life, and thus has learned various techniques which he applies to his hunts; he can wait for days on end without moving from his spot and remain largely observant and sensitive to his surroundings and position, although as a result of his age he has often been known to fall asleep. Nonetheless, he is nearly always a perfect shot, taking out lesser foes with ease and being able to scope out and assault the weaknesses of mobile units, and operates rather quickly - squads of Orks, Imperial Guardsmen, and Eldar Guardians have met their end swiftly at the barrel of Pahkyun's gun, dying in quick succession. However, his weapon is but a mere Kroot hunting rifle after all, and as such some enemies require more than a simple single shot to the cranial region in order to be disposed of, which means when facing stronger opposition Pahkyun often has to be rather mobile and confident of which position he is going to locate to next. Having come into possession of an Eldar Powersword in his days of youth, prior to his position as a Shaper, Pahkyun can stand up for himself in close-combat, making use of the almost-impossibly sharp, slim blade in order to dispatch prey that happens to wander too close to him. While capable of using the Powersword how it should be used, Pahkyun is but a mere Kroot, an elderly one at that, and has been known to come to fault during stand-offs due to his aged body; his physical strength does not compare to that of Orks or Adeptus Astartes, and his preference ultimately holds true towards the school of sniping. Nonetheless, it is not wise to stray close to Pahkyun if one happens to be an enemy of his, as he has stood his ground against Eldar, Commissars, and countless xenos with the blade and duels often end unexpectedly after just minutes of fighting. While he has reached a terrifying level of skill in sniping, he still possesses weakness, which may come as a surprise to most that reside within the Verge where his name is regarded with tinges of fear and paranoia; he often establishes traps across the battlefields he fights within due to being unable to deal with foes that wander close yet are out of reach of his Powersword, leaving him exposed to his enemies if they manage to discover his position - a problem he has often faced with several Commissars due to their eagerness to get in close. As a result of age, Pahkyun faces more difficulty disposing of fast-moving targets, although that does not mean he cannot hit them at all - he is merely unlikely to score instantaneous kills, and thus has to work to incapacitate his foe if he cannot kill them straight away. Concerning swordsmanship, Pahkyun can stand up in a duel although facing multiple opponents has become somewhat difficult for him, and he is liable to attempt escaping from groups of enemies rather than facing them all at the same time. As a result of his age, and perhaps his consumption of many Eldar, Pahkyun has grown frail and his durability to injury has decreased over time, to the point that punches from baseline humans can be thought of as damaging to him, and thus has to take particular precaution so as to not get injured during or outside of an assignment, as to him it can mean the difference between life or death. However, as a side effect of Eldar consumption, he has gained a degree of psychic presence; he can disguise himself to blend with his surroundings and can effectively control the destination of his shots in order to more effectively score headshots, and uses this psychic presence in order to gain a better awareness of his immediate surroundings and the presence of his enemies, although such an ability can work as a weakness towards him if his enemies are also sensitive and are adept at detecting or recognizing psychics. Yrr 'Yrr '''is a Kroot hound that serves as Pahkyun's companion during his travels and ventures, and provides Pahkyun with company when others cannot supply it. Yrr was named after Pahkyun's own father and the first Shaper he had been guided under, Khihyak Yrr, and serves as a living reminder of Khihyak's guidance and method, just as how Pahkyun's aged hunting rifle is the same rifle that Khihyak had gifted Pahkyun in his youth. Yrr, unlike typical dogs or bloodhounds, possesses a degree of intelligence which allows him to "connect" with Pahkyun, and they understand and communicate between one another without error. While past his prime, Yrr is nonetheless a helpful and dangerous asset to Pahkyun's arsenal. Yrr acts as Pahkyun's assistant on the field of combat; he is trained to protect the rear of Pahkyun's position and flank enemies that get within range, and also helps Pahkyun by waking him up when he falls asleep during his assignments due to prolonged periods of waiting and his obvious state of age. Yrr supports himself by eating from the local fauna during assignments, and has grown to remain strong during his elder years through the consumption of Orks and other physically-dominating species in the past while operating alongside Pahkyun. Equipment ''Bhi'khavir ''Khor'tevaaru'' Appearance Relations Allies Enemies Quotes By From Trivia